FRESH COMO MEAT: Knuckledraggers and Palm Greasers United!

It’s been an up and down beginning to the emergence of my favorite time of year, Autumn. Being sick at the onset of a season makes you hate that transition but alas, THE TEAM will not be moved. Fall is usually the time for social movements to generally start packing it in. Over the past decade, the grindingly gradual process of electoralism smashes the hopes and aspirations of the youth like a jackass sponsored camaro plowing through the front of your house. You hear the faint murmur on the distance, you begin to locate the sound, and before you know it, CRUNCH. Whatever you were doing before is forgotten because you have to deal with this jackass in your breakfast nook. The endless campaign signs, commercials, radio ads, spam emails, text massage(not message), and the ever present pressure of peers, takes the hopes, energy, and creativity of a summer and takes a giant piss on it.

It’s been said that the Democratic Party is the “graveyard of social movements” and historically, this is accurate. From Johnson and Carter to Clinton and Obomba, movements have been told to pack it in, give us your support, and we’ll meet your demands. For those of us that hated Bush before it was easy to hate Bush, this meant that all the candidates were pro-war but some were for a kinder, gentler war. Remember in 2004, when ABB ruled the day and your friends were telling you that if you didn’t vote for that corpse from Mass that your swearing in the emergence of fascism? Swimming against the stream is an understatement.

Well, the electoral season is upon us and yet again we get up-to-the-minute coverage of the field of knuckledraggers the GOP has rolled out. My friend in NY recently wrote that you could randomly select eight drunks from random dives in Brooklyn and get a better field.

You know why it gets better? Because despite, massive police repression on par with those countries the U.S. is usually denouncing as “violent” the Occupy Movement continues. It has survived the seasonal shift while enduring some pretty nasty shots. Here locally, I had the pleasure of attending the last few General Assemblies and have been impressed with complexity of debates, the openness to organizing, and the resiliency of folks that occupy 24/7. Despite news coverage and analysis that you expect from a high school newsletter, local media have begrudgingly started to give a voice to those occupying. Case in point: a march on National Bank Transfer Day that had targeted Bank of America had between 260-300 people attend. The picture in the Missourian was of five people at speakers circle hula hooping at Mizzou. Weird? You betcha. Especially considering there is a School of Journalism about 4 blocks away. Sure they covered it but gosh, how about a little imagination?

Locally, Occupy CoMo recently had the outside electrical outlets turned off as a “public safety issue” by City Manager Mike Matthes, Mayor Bob McDavid and Public Works Director John Glascock. I guess the electrical infrastructure at city hall has had their fuses replaced with pennies (like my grandpa used to do). Those cell phones and laptops are really crushing the cities utilities. In fact, as winter approaches, I think tents should be allowed there. Why not? If the city provides ample pleasantries to developers who gentrify low income neighborhoods and trailer parks, shouldn’t it provide the same pleasantries to occupiers? Insanely priced student housing doesn’t benefit anyone except the out-of-state 1%’ers. How many palms were greased in the Recency Park takeover or the Brookside project on College? Or the beer tax for Downtown that 40 people voted on? As we went to press here, 3,702 occupiers have been arrested. The bankers that plundered our economy and ruined the lives of millions? 0

And they wonder why we occupy?

Stop throwing your shoes at the TV and come join Occupy CoMo. Visit often and donate time and resources. There is a rally this Thursday November 17th at 4:30 at Liberty Plaza (Broadway & 8th) in solidarity with the National Day of Action called by Occupy Wall Street.